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y 1936- o. M. DEAN Re. 19,970 V I PROCESS OF CUTTING FUR Original Filed Oct. 22, 1930 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Qs'carm. Dean May 12, 1936. .0. M. DEAN PROCESS OF CUTTING FUR 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed Oct. 22, 1930 n m p m r a m 0 May 12, 1936.

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Reissued May 12, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PROCESS OF CUTTING FUR Oscar M. Dean, Sioux City, Iowa 16 Claims.

My invention relates to the art of notching the edges of furs which are to be sewed together. It has been learned in the fur garment industry that the line of stitching between two skins may be fairly well concealed by providing the edges of the skins with registering notches and sewing the skins together along the edges of these notches. The notches are triangular in shape and preferably formed with edges disposed at 90 to each other.

The object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved method or process of cutting fur by practice of which these'notches can be rapidly and veryaccurately cut in the furs. At the present time it is considered necessary tocut these notches by hand, and furriers have acquired considerable skill in the use of a fur knife. The inaccuracy, however, which is characteristic of the human hand, makes it practi- -cally impossible ever to obtain a perfect match in the notches of skins thus cut, when sewed together. By practiceof my improved method it is possible to form zig-zag or notched-line cuts which enable perfect matching of the notches of 35 skins thus cut, when sewed together, and the method is such that it is readily adaptable to practice in various forms of commercial machines, an example of which is disclosed herein in support of the detailed description of said method.

The most important requirement in notching furs, next to the accuracy of the notches, is that the cutting shall be done without clipping any of the hairs of the fur. It can be .readily seen, if scissors or any sort of shearing device were to be used, that the hairs which lie over the line of cut would .be clipped and shortened. When the furs were sewed together, these shortened hairs would very definitely mark the seam between the skins. 40 This has been avoided in the past by the skill of the hand operator in cutting the fur from the side opposite the hairs. However, it constitutes a real problem when the cutting of the furs by machinery is contemplated. This problem has undoubtedly been the obstacle which has so far stood in the path of the machine cutting of furs. My invention overcomes this problem by a novel utilization of a reciprocating slender cutting element which passes through or pierces the skin at right angles to the surface thereof and cuts a very short portion of the line of cut during a single piercing operation. This is the basic feature of my invention.

Another object of my invention is to provide an improved method or process of cutting fur in which the notching effect is obtained by a combined translatory movement of the cutting element in a direction at right angles to its axis of reciprocation and the movement of the skin in a direction .at rig-ht angles both to the direction of 5 I reciprocation of the cutting element and the direction of translatory movement of the cutting element.

Another object of my invention is to provide an improved method or process of cutting fur in which the slender cutting element utilized repeatedly pierces or passes through the hide from the flesh side entering between and deflecting but not cutting the hairs, and in which the hide and the cutting element are shifted relatively to form the desired zig-zag or notched-line out each .zig and mg of which is formed by a succession of relatively narrow individual cuts conjointly forming the continuous line cut.

With these and other objects in view, .my invention consists in the .novel step or act or series and combination of steps or acts of fur cutting hereinafter more fully set forth in the following detailed description, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal, sectional view through an example of a machine capable of practicing my invention,

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the machine,

Fig. 3 is an inverted, plan view of the cutting element,

Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the same,

Fig. 5 is a left, side elevation of the same,

Fig. 6 :is a horizontal, sectional view taken on the line 6-6-of Fig. 2,

Fig. 7 is a vertical, sectional view taken on the line 1-1 of Fig. 1,

I 8 is a detail, sectional view taken on .the line -B'8 of Fig. 1, 40

Fig. 9 is a greatly enlarged diagrammatic plan View illustrating a :portion of :a skin, the direction of feed thereof and the direction of translatory movement of the cutting element thereover being indicated by arrows, the cutting element being shown in horizontal cross section and successive positions assumed by said element in forming a continuous line out being shown in dotted lines. 50

Fig. 10 is a detail, sectional view through the axis of the cams which produce translatory movement of the cutting element,

Fig. 11 is an inverted, plan view of one of the cam followers,

Fig. 15 is a longitudinal sectional view through the transmission shaft assembly.

Fig. 16 is a detail plan View of the hide or skin supporting plate.

Fig. 17 is a diagrammatic plan View illustrating the effect of relatively shifting the skin and the cutting element in timed relation.

Fig. 18 is a detail vertical cross section of the skin supporting plate and the feed rollers.

The machine which I have disclosed as an example mechanism. capable of performing my improved method comprises a base I0 which supports a bracket II on which the cutting head is mounted. The cutting head has a box or frame including the side walls I2, the rear wall I3, and the front wall I4. In a suitable bearing l5 on the rear wall I3 is mounted a shaft l6 at the outer end of which is secured a combined flywheel I1 and pulley I8. Within the cutter head frame, a gear I9 is secured to the shaft I6 and a worm 20 is formed on or secured to the end of the shaft.

Journalled in a bearing 2I ,secured to a side Wall I2 is a shaft 22 tothe upper end of which is secured a worm wheel 23 meshing with the worm 20. To the lower end of the shaft 22 is secured a bevel gear 24 which meshes with the bevel gear 25, mounted on a transmission shaft 26.

The shaft 26 is journalled in the bearing 31 secured to the side wall I2, and to its other end is secured a pinion 28. See Fig. 15.

The pinion 28 meshes with a spur gear 29 mounted on a sleeve 30, which in turn is journalled on the stud 3| secured in the front wall I4. See Fig. 10.

Two pinions 32 secured to a pair of shafts 33 supported horizontally and in spaced relation in bearings 34 on the front wall l4 mesh with the spur gear 29 for the purpose of having rotation imparted thereto from said gear. To the free ends of the shafts 33 are secured a pair of hide advancing or feed rollers 35.

Coacting with the rollers 35, is a hide or skin supporting plate 36 mounted in a yoke 31 which is pivoted as at 33 upon a swinging lever 39. The lever 39 is fulcrumed at 40 ina bracket 4| secured to the base I0. A compression spring 42 urges the rear end of the lever downwardly, thus urging the skin supporting plate upwardly toward the feed rollers 35. Upward pressure from a suitable foot lever (not shown) delivered by a push rod 43,- serves to efiect separation between the plate 36 and the rollers 35 to allow a skin to be inserted therebetween.

Rollers 44 may be mounted in the skin support 36 to facilitate the movement of the skins there over.

A bridge bar 45 connects the upper ends of the walls I3 and I4, and secured to the bridge bar 45 is a pair of guides 46 which slidably support the horizontal slide member 41 of the carriage 48. The carriage includes a vertical, depending arm 49, to which is secured a pair of guides 50 between which is slidably mounted the cutter element carrier or chuck 5|.

The horizontal arm .41 of the carriage has a central depending rib 52, and a cutting element reciprocating shaft 53 extends longitudinally through the rib 52 and has rotative bearing therein. Collars 54 secured to the shaft prevent longitudinal movement cf the shaft relative to the carriage. The shaft 53 extends forwardly through the arm 49 and is journalled in a bushing 55 therein. Upon the front end of the shaft is secured an eccentric cam 55. A pitman 51 is pivoted at 58 to the carrier. 5| and has a sleeve portion encircling the cam 56.

On the opposite end of the shaft 53 is secured a pinion 60 which meshes with the drive gear I9. The pinion 60 is long enough so that as the carriage moves longitudinally of the machine, the pinion will remain in mesh with the gear I9, the teeth of the pinion sliding relative to the teeth of the gear.

A pair of guides 0i secured to the forward wall I4 retain the lower end of the depending arm 40 of the carriage against lateral movement as the carriage moves longitudinally.

A pull-spring B2 is secured at its rear end to the carriage 41 and at its forward end to the bridge bar 45. The pull-spring 62 lies in a groove 63 in the arm 41 of the carriage. The pull of the spring tends to move the carriage forwardly, in iilie direction indicated by the arrow 64 in Fig.

In order to move the carriage rearwardly, I

provide a crown cam 65, which may be formed as a part of the gear 29 or secured to the sleeve 30, and which rotates in unison with the gear. The notch faces 66 of the teeth 61 of the crown cam engage against a cam follower 68, secured to the rib 52 of the carriage. The follower 68 in horizontal cross-section is triangular shaped as shown in Fig. 11. The upper extremity of the follower is formed with a pair of arms 69 (Fig. 8) which embrace the rib 52 and are secured thereto by thumb sci-eggs 10 extending therethrough and into the r1 The object of thus securing the follower is toprovide for adjustment. It should be understood that the thumb screws are removably receivable in suitable threaded apertures in the rib 52 and by removing these screws and the follower and shifting the follower and applying the scr ws to similar auxiliary apertures II in the rib the follower will be secured in position out of engaging relation with the crown cam 65. An auxiliary crown cam I2, having a greater number of notches than the cam 65, co-acts with an auxiliary follower I3 shaped to fit thecam 12, the follower 13 being shown positioned out of engagement. It may be positioned in engagement with its cam by securing it to the threaded holes I4 in the same manner as the other follower.

The machine is thus selective for two different sizes of notches, since the size of a notch depends upon the relative number of reciprocations of the carriage compared with the speed of travel of the skin. Since the latter is constant, variation of the former will produce a'variation in the size of the notch. The small can is used for Hudson seal and. the larger for Northern seal.

The follower blocks may be controlled by a lever as shown in Figs. 12 and 13, wherein the blocks are formed with ears shaped as at I00 in Fig, 13, and slidably mounted in grooves IOI in the depending rib 52a of the carriage.

A lever I02 is pivoted at I03 in a slot I04 in the rib 52-a, and is connected to a pair of ears I05 on the follower blocks 68 and 13, respectively by a pair of links I06, pivoted at I01 and I08 to the ears I05 and lever I02 respectively.

A pin I09 mounted in the rib 52a, engages an opening I I0 in the lever I02 to hold the lever in the position shown in Fig. 12, wherein the follower blocks are positioned so that the carriage is actuated by the secondary cam I2.

A pin I I I, similar to the pin I09, engages the opening IIO to secure the lever in a reverse position wherein the follower blocks are spread apart to bring the forward follower block into engagement with the primary cam 65. The ends of the pins I09 and III are rounded to allow the lever I02 to spring past them.

One form of cutting element adaptable to use in the practice of my improved method or process of fur cutting is shown in detail in Figs. 3, 4 and 5 and is generally designated I5. This cutting element is very slender and resembles a needle in appearance but, unlike a needle, includes cutting edges and is capable of cutting fur. In horizontal cross-section, it is triangular as shown in Fig. 3. The rear face of the cutting element is parallel to and adjacent the wall l4 and perfectly straight and vertical as indicated at 16 in Fig. 5.

The two faces, I! and I0, of the cutting element are equal in area and width and converge forwardly to form a central corner or edge I9 which toward its lower end slopes rearwardly and merges at the bottom center with the face I6 in a penetrating or piercing point flanked at either side by the converging cutting edges 85 and 06.

The faces 11 and 10 are so inclined relative to each other that the angle formed between them,

in a horizontal cross-section of the cutting element, is equal to the angle between the sides of the cut to be produced in the work. In other words the faces 11 and I8 bear the same angular relation as do the individual zigs and zags of the zig-zag or notched-line cut. The successive positions of the cutting element assumed in the formation of portions of a zig and a zag which cooperate to form a single notch is shown in Fig. 9, wherein the skin is indicated by the reference character 80, and the imaginary line upon which the successive penetrations occur by the reference character 9|. The waste material which is trimmed from the edge of the skin is indicated at 02.

Assuming that the skin is being fed between the plate 36 and the rollers 35 in the direction indicated by the arrow 83, while the cutting element, shown in cross-section in Fig. 9, is traveling in the direction indicated by the arrow 84, it will be seen that the face I8 of the cutting element will be exactly parallel to the edge or the portion of the out 8| in process of formation. It will be obvious that the successive individual penetrations of the triangular piercing and cut-- ting element I5 will merge one into another and. conjointly form a continuous line cut. The term continuous line cut is not to be considered limited to the formation of a straight or smooth edge cut since the invention comprehends the cutting of fur by successive narrow cuts conjointly forming a continuous line whether the same be rough or smooth. The result of slowly advancing the skin and slowly translating the cutting element back and forth across the path of advancement of the skin in constantly timed relation, is the formation of a continuous zigzag or notched-line cut, each zig and each zag of which is formed by a rapid succession of individual narrow cuts formed by the cutting element.

In Figures 9 and 17 I have diagrammatically illustrated how the penetrating or piercing point of the cutting element always strikes the imaginary line of cut. This is made possible because any given unit or distance of skin movement is attended by a like unit or distance of translatory movement of the cutting element and consequently the point of the element will always strike the skin in the desired line of cut as shown by the heavy dots in Fig. 17. The crossed light lines therefore illustrate what might be termed units of movement, of advancing movement with respect to the skin, and of movement of translation with respect to the cutting element.

It will be obvious that a single piercing action or penetration of a skin by the cutting element shown in detail in Figs. 3, 4 and 5 will form a three cornered cut as a result of the action of the point forming the terminus of the edge I9 and the cutting edges 85 and 86. In practicing the method the .feed travel of the hide or skin and the movement of translation of the cutting element I5 cause said element to assume successive penetrating or piercing positions relative to the hide or skin as indicated in dotted lines in Figure 9. At each vertical reciprocation of said element it is caused to pierce or penetrate the hide or skin and form a trianguiar cut therethrough, said individual narrow cuts merging one intoanother to form a continuous line out. The cutting element I5 being pointed and slender, and projected through the fur from the flesh side, passes through between the hairs deflecting but not cutting the same.

The translatory movement of the cutting element is produced by the cam or I2 and the spring 62 acting in opposite directions against the horizontal arm 47 of the carriage to slide the arm in the guides 46. The arm 49 of the carriage slides between the guide brackets El and carries with it the cutting element reciprocating mechanism including the chuck 5! and the eccentric mechanism 56 to 59. The cam 65 moves the carriage rearw'ardly and spring 62 returns the carriage in an opposite direction.

As the carriage slides in and out, the pinion 60 will slide relative to the gear I9 without losing its mesh therewith.

The motion of the cutting element will be quite rapid compared to the motion of the carriage and rollers 35, and this diiference in speeds is obtained by employing the worm 20 to step down the speed to the carriage reciprocating mechanism and advancing rollers and by employing the large gear I9 and small pinion I50 to step up the speed to the cutting element. By mounting both worm 20 and gear I9 on the same shaft, a constant ratio between the respective speeds of the carriage control mechanism and cutting element drive mechanism is assured.

The practice of my improved method or process of fur cutting enables the accomplishment of machine cutting of fur by piercing the same transversely of its plane with a series of narrow cuts, progressively arranged in the fur along the desired line of cut and conjointly forming a continuous line out, the necessary relative movement of translation between the fur and the piercing device being slow as compared with the piercing movement.

It will be understood that the term piercing as used herein, refers to the making of a very short cut by a relatively'long slender cutting element which moves in a direction along its own axis and transversely to the'plane of the skin from an initial position wholly outside the plane of the skin through successive positions wherein its sharpened end first intersects said plane, thence passes through said plane, and thence withdraws from said plane, whether the leading extremityof said cutting instrument, in intersecting said plane, enters uncut skin or a previously made cut.

Machine embodying various specific forms of mechanisms may be utilized in the practice of my improved method or process of cutting fur without departing from the real spirit and purpose of my invention, and it is my intention to cover my improved method or process irrespective of the particular mechanisms used so long as the steps or acts or the series or combination of steps or acts defined in the appended claims are employed either manually or by use of such mechanisms.

I claim as my invention:

1. The method of cutting a fur bearing hide which comprises repeatedly piercing the hide progressively along the desired line of cut, the individual cuts being relatively narrow, and made between the hairs.

2. The method of notching a fur bearing hide which comprises repeatedly piercing the hide progressively along the desired line of cut, the individual cuts being relatively narrow, and made between the hairs.

3. The method of notching a fur bearing hide which comprises repeatedly piercing the hide from the flesh side progressively along the desired line of cut, the individual punctures being relatively narrow, and made between the hairs.

4. The method of cutting fur bearing hide which comprises repeatedly piercing the hide between the hairs thereof, and shifting the relative positions of the hide and piercing means so as to arrange the punctures progressively along the line of out. i

5. The method of notching a fur bearing hide which comprises imparting to the hide linear travel, repeatedly forming individual relatively narrow cuts in the hide in a manner for deflecting but not cutting the hairs thereof and while moving the cutting means back and forth in a line traversing the line of feed of the hide, the individual cuts and the combined hide and cutting means movement cooperating to form a continuous notched-line cut in the hide.

6. The method of notching a fur bearing hide which comprises imparting to the hide slow linear travel, rapidly and repeatedly forming conjoint individual and relatively narrow cuts in the hide in a manner for deflecting but not cutting the hairs thereof and while moving the cutting means slowly back and forth in a line traversing the line of feed of the hide.

'7. The method of notching a fur bearing hide which comprises rapidly reciprocating a narrow cutting element through the hide whereby to deflect but not cut the hairs thereof while imparting linear feed to the hide and translatory movement to the reciprocating cutting element back and forth across the path of linear feed and in timed relation to said linear feed whereby the individual cuts will be caused to cooperate in forming a continuous notched-dine cut in the hide.

8. The method of cutting a fur bearing hide which comprises repeatedly forming individual relatively narrow cuts in the hide progressively along the desired line of cut, the individual cuts conjointly forming a continuous line out and each being made between hairs of the hide.

9. The method of cutting a fur bearing hidev which comprises the forming in the hide of a continuous zig-zag or notched-line cut, each zig and each zag of the line out being formed of a plurality of individual relatively narrow cuts initiated between the hairs of the hide whereby to deflect but not cut the same.

10. The method of cutting a fur bearing hide which comprises the forming in the hide of a continuous zig-zag or notched-line cut, the zigs and zags of the line out being formed progressively and each by a succession of indivdual relatively narrow cuts initiated between the hairs of the hide whereby to deflect but not cut the same.

11. The method of cutting a fur bearing hide which comprises the forming in the hide of a continuous zig-zag or notched-line cut, the zigs and zags of the line out being formed progressively and each by a succession of individual relatively narrow cuts entering the hide from the flesh side and deflecting, not cutting the hairs.

12. The method of cutting a fur bearing hide which comprises repeatedly piercing the hide with a very narrow cutting element whereby to deflect but not cut the hairs of the hide, continuously feeding the hide during the piercing thereof while at the same time imparting transverse translato-ry movement back and forth of said element in timed relation to the feeding movement to cause the resulting individual narrow cuts to conjointly form a continuous notched-line or zig-zag cut.

13. The method of notching a fur bearing hide which comprises imparting to the hide slow linear travel, rapidly and repeatedly forming individual and relatively narrow cuts in the hide in a manner for deflecting but not cutting the hairs thereof and while moving the cutting means slowly back and forth in a line traversing the line of feed of the hide and controlling the relative speeds of the linear travel and the back, and forth movement to cause the individual cuts to merge one into another and conjointly form a continuous line cut.

14. The method of cutting a fur bearing hide which comprises repeatedly piercing the hide with a very narrow cutting element whereby to deflect but not cut the hairs of the hide, continuously feeding the hide during the piercing thereof while at the same time imparting transverse translatory movement back and forth of said element in timed relation to the feeding movement to cause the resulting individual narrow cuts to occur along a continuous notched or zig-zag line and controlling the relative speeds of the feeding movement and the back and forth movement to cause a succession of such individual cuts to merge and conjointly form each zig and zag of a continuous zig-zag or notchedline cut.

. 15. The method of notching ,a fur bearing hide which comprises imparting to the hide slow linear travel, rapidly and repeatedly forming conjoint individual and relatively narrow cuts in the hide in a manner for deflecting but not cutting the hairs thereof and while moving the cutting means slowly back and forth in a line traversing the line of feed of the hide and adjusting the degree of movement back and forth of said cutting means proportional to the speed of linear travel of the hide whereby to vary the size of the notches.

, 16. The method of notching a fur bearing hide which comprises imparting to the hide slow linear travel, rapidly and repeatedly forming conjoint individual and relatively narrow cuts in the hide in a manner for deflecting but not cutting the hairs and While moving the cutting means slowly back and forth in a line traversing the line of feed of the hide and adjusting the degree of movement back and forth of said cutting means proportional to the speed of linear travel of the hide whereby to vary the size of the notches without varying the angles formed by the edges defining said notches.

OSCAR M. DEAN. 

